I have watched several videos of shooters engaging multiple targets at different distances, but they don't adjust parallax for each target. I understand parallax. So, what is the standard practice for this situation?
PRS Talk Multiple target distances, but no parallax change?
- Thread starter Southern Shooter 59
- Start date
In my experience, limited that it may be, parallax is most critical at close in ranges (sub 300 yards) and less critical beyond those distances. I believe it was in one of the the big influencer’s podcasts where someone mentions the optical physics behind it but essentially the effect of parallax is reduced with distance until it becomes negligible at some range, beyond which the parallax knob essentially becomes a focus knob. Try this: adjust parallax using the “move head, eliminate apparent motion of the reticle” method at 100, 200, 300, 400, etc. you will see diminishing effects at some point. My scopes tend to have one parallax “setting” that eliminates parallax error at 100 yards and another that is good for everything from 400-1000. Thus, in a match, I hardly ever move the parallax knob. In a match, if there’s one target (barricade stage?) or it’s a particularly long range stage, I might take a peak before I shoot but not on the clock. Also, influencers, especially ones that produce podcasts, tend to be full of shit and shilling for someone so there’s and equal chance that I misunderstood the content and that the content was total garbage. I’m sure someone who knows everything will be here shortly to straighten us out.
The optic itself has a lot to do with it, my MK5's are very parallax forgiving from 300 to 1,000 yards mine lives at 800 adjustment.
Usually i set the parallax up on the first stage and don't really mess with it the rest of the match. If we have MOA or smaller targets i might double check it but usually the targets are so big the error from parallax is less than what your wind call will be and usually still hit if you're in the ball park.
One thing to be careful of, if you leave parallax set inappropriately close, you essentially increase the perceived movement in recoil. As the gun moves, not only are you having to watch through the actual motion but also through the perceived motion of the reticle moving as your eye position changes. It can increase the difficulty of spotting shots. The point being, when you leave the hundred yard range for the last time before shooting the match, don’t forget to run your parallax out to an appropriate distance.
Strictly a rimfire shooter, so this is based on from 400y onwards. I try to average on a closer to mid range setting for multiple distance stages, and slightly reduce my magnification so the targets appear a bit less blurry. A level gun and target focus seems to have the biggest impact on my hits, but I lock in on a firm cheek weld, so I don’t tend to see much parallax shift.
